Chapter 159
Chapter 159
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 159
Chapter Title: Tang Citadel
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"By any chance, did you sneak out of the manor that dawn?"
!?
A remark I hadn't even considered.
I couldn't help but laugh.
A sneer curled at my lips.
It was the Ghost King's smile.
So he saw that, did he?
「Young Cult Leader!!」
「If that bastard saw something, he might suspect the Young Cult Leader too—」
‘I know. It's no laughing matter.’
That night of the Nine Dragons Great Battle.
I had received the pledges of loyalty from Jeong Pung-gak and Pung Hwa-jeong, then gone to punish the North Sea Sect Master for his crimes.
But what if Gong Son-beom had witnessed the whole scene?
He was a master of lightness skill.
And if he'd mastered the signature techniques of the Soul-Reaping Ghost Phantom Sect, he'd have some skill in stealth arts too.
It wouldn't be strange at all if he'd trailed and spied on me from afar.
In that case, he might have overheard my conversation with the North Sea Sect Master or witnessed the fierce battle.
He could even harbor doubts about my true identity.
"That day we fought the battle? I was exhausted and just slept. Why? What'd that guy say about it?"
I kept my expression neutral and asked with a sullen face.
Tang Gon spoke casually, as if it were no big deal.
"Is that so? Apparently, that Bi Cheon-ho-ri friend said he happened to spot the Young Branch Leader slipping out of the manor at dawn on the day of the great battle and heading toward some mountainside. And that mountainside turns out to be an old campsite used by the North Sea Old Monster... something like that."
What kind of specific nonsense is this?
"Depending on how you hear it, it sounds like the Young Branch Leader secretly hogged some treasure left by the North Sea Demonic Sect, or maybe has some connection to them. It's stirred up a lot of controversy among the trainees."
"What a load of useless crap."
"Yeah, exactly. If there was really something suspicious, he'd go to the Clan Leader or the Green Elder Division or whatever, not just spread weird rumors. I used to think well of the guy, but now all my fondness is gone."
Fortunately, Tang Gon seemed to see it as just a rumor meant to undermine me.
The other instructors and warriors probably felt the same.
But I knew better.
All malicious rumors start from these baseless little suspicions.
As the saying goes, three men make a tiger. If stories like this kept circulating, eventually I'd be branded as someone colluding with the Demonic Cult.
‘Why do these Ghost Sect bastards pull the exact same tricks?’
It was a tactic often used by the espionage-savvy Soul-Reaping Ghost Phantom Sect.
They'd play the good guy to build favorable public opinion around themselves, while dragging their targeted mark's reputation into the gutter.
「If Bi Cheon-ho-ri really saw the Young Cult Leader facing off against the North Sea Sect Master and spread word of it, shouldn't we act fast?」
「If they figure out the Young Cult Leader's identity—」
‘No. That won't happen.’
I cut them off firmly.
「B-but—」
‘This is probably just a probe.’
「You mean they're testing the Young Cult Leader's reaction?」
‘Yeah. When I headed to the North Sea Sect Master's location, I completely erased my presence with sorcery. Plus, there were formations set up there. Unless it was the Ghost Sect Master himself, no one could track my movements.’
「Ah!」
‘They were probably watching the White Division camp and just confirmed I was gone. But they didn't see exactly where I went.’
「That makes sense... If they were certain of the Young Cult Leader's identity or had witnessed the meeting with the North Sea Sect Master, they wouldn't stop at rumors—they'd launch a direct strike operation against you.」
‘Exactly. With no solid proof, they just want to see how I react in surprise.’
The Sacred Cult had long harbored suspicions about the connection between 'Tang Un-hwi' and the Dark Demon Divine Transformation Sect.
Then the North Sea Sect Master dies?
And I show some odd reaction?
Naturally, a spy like Gong Son-beom from another faction would be dying to verify it.
That's why he set up this little trap.
If I panicked and slipped up, he'd have confirmation to dig deeper.
Even if I showed no reaction, he could at least tarnish my reputation—no loss for him.
What a sly fox.
Not Bi Cheon-ho-ri, but Sly Cheon-ho-ri.
The anger he showed when we clashed was probably calculated too.
Just fishing to see if he could uncover something else about me.
But he'd made a mistake.
When it came to scheming, I wasn't one to be outdone.
Let him taste his own medicine.
Soon enough, he'd drag his real boss right to me on a platter.
The only snag was Gong Son-beom displaying South Palace Clan techniques too...
I already knew the South Palace Clan had joined hands with the cult traitors, but given the enmities between orthodox sects, it was probably just a strategic alliance. How could he have learned them together?
What was Gong Son-beom's real deal?
Just a Ghost Sect spy?
Or originally from the South Palace Clan?
A joint operative?
A double agent?
No way to tell yet.
Watching a bit longer would reveal it.
Anyway, you little fox, you're done for.
"Just keep a low profile for a while. Even I have limits to how much I can cover for you. Got it?"
"Alright, alright. Enough nagging. Even my mom doesn't do this."
"I'm doing all this at my age because of who—"
Tang Gon's lecture poured out for a good while.
* * *
Chengdu had long been the capital of Sichuan, with a mild climate and abundant rainfall, making it rich in produce since ancient times.
It even earned the nickname 'Heavenly Abundance Realm.'
The Tang Citadel was located in the outskirts of this Chengdu.
High plateaus rose sharply, surrounded by walls like a fortress, with smoke billowing in the sky.
The closer you got to the citadel, the thicker the gunpowder scent and the stench of poisons—less like a manor or village, more like a military stronghold.
That was the Tang Citadel.
The main house of the Tang Clan, overlords of not just Sichuan but the western Central Plains.
「To think I'd see that damned place again after death... Ugh!」
「It certainly has an imposing presence.」
「Just thinking of stepping inside again makes my stomach churn.」
The wraiths gazing at the Tang Citadel weren't exactly fond of the sight.
They'd suffered brutally at the Tang Clan's hands in life.
Some had even pushed into Sichuan long ago to besiege the citadel.
Around thirty or forty years back, probably.
Before the Dark Venerable earned his current fame, the Sacred Cult had nearly conquered Sichuan's martial world, only failing to take the last bastion, the Tang Citadel, and retreating to Heavenly Mountain.
It was an impregnable fortress, never once breached.
Not for nothing was it called the 'Wall of Lamentations.'
And now, I—a Sacred Cult member—was entering it as a Tang clansman.
"Huh...!"
"So that's the famed Tang Citadel—"
"What majesty. You can see exactly why the Tang Clan's reputation stands just from the stronghold."
Everyone in the procession gasped in admiration.
First-timers and veterans alike—no exceptions.
The Tang Citadel never failed to impress, every single visit.
"How about it?"
Still under house arrest, I could only view it from inside the carriage when a voice piped up beside me.
Here we go again with this guy.
The last ten days had been endless torment like this.
I sighed lightly and grumbled back.
"What do you mean?"
Across from me, the Dark Venerable grinned ear to ear.
He looked like he was dying of amusement at my caged bird act.
"Pretty grand, eh?"
"It's the Western Hegemon Tang Clan, isn't it? That's to be expected."
"Wanna die?"
"Yes. Very much."
"Cool, right?"
"Yeah. Driving me insane."
"Wanna live?"
"Yes, a little."
"Wanna have it?"
"Not really."
"Tch! Kid, lying to an elder's face is no good!"
"It's not a lie; it's the truth. I'm not into flashy grandeur."
"I said no lying!!"
Ah, this is maddening.
Ever since I got confined to this carriage, the Dark Venerable would drop by whenever he had a moment, ramble on endlessly, then vanish.
Grateful as I was for him teaching me the Heaven-Splitting Palm and helping bag the North Sea Sect Master so easily, I'd tried to be polite at first.
The problem? This guy had a knack for grating on your nerves.
A top-ten master pulling pranks that only he found funny—us regular(?) folks were dying!
Now I knew why Grandfather Tang Ye-won always ground his teeth at mentions of him.
The Dark Venerable had a talent for wearing people down.
One line would've sufficed, but he dragged it into two, three, then brain-melting levels.
Same now.
He'd launch into bragging about his clan at the drop of a hat.
How the Tang Clan's history began, the origins of the citadel, how the Wall of Lamentations was built, how they earned the Western Hegemon title, and so on.
Then he'd slyly slip in details about their wealth, assets, hidden properties...!
「To be honest, even I... I'm tempted. How do you resist temptation with that much money?」
「You worm! Does the Young Cult Leader look like the type to sell his soul for money like you—」
‘I’m playing it cool as best I can, but damn, it pulls hard, you know?’
「—like that? He does! Of course he does!! Who needs pride with that much cash staring you down!」
「The Tang Clan's wealth is on another level. The villages and farmlands around here are all theirs too—enough to smash several Sacred Cult divisions combined, I'd wager—」
「If there's a genius investor, it's the Tang Clan! Who'd guess they were major shareholders in four of the Ten Great Merchant Groups of the world!」
「Sichuan's been fertile with abundant resources since antiquity, ringed by mountains—a natural paradise! Make it the Sacred Cult's foundation! And then... all that Tang wealth and gold, and money...... money......!! All that mooooney!」
「Money! Money! Money!」
「Rich! Rich! Rich!」
The wraiths chanted in unison; the Tangs were filthy rich.
Probably the wealthiest of the four pillars upholding the Central Plains martial world.
I feigned disinterest, but the Dark Venerable never missed my twitching ears, smirking slyly as he whispered.
"Be honest. You like money, right?"
*Ahem!* "Well, hating it would be weirder."
"Wanna have it?"
"...A bit?"
"Not a bit—tons, right?"
I couldn't argue.
The Dark Venerable's grin stretched to his ears.
"Marry my granddaughter, and all that could be yours. Tempting, huh?"
He toyed with my ear like a cunning devil's whisper.
Ugh... Can't take this. Too much money to refuse.
Was this old coot secretly burning unmarried incense in here?
Hypnotizing me so I'd wake up holding Tang Ye-won's hand, marching down the aisle...!
No way. Get lost, you bald devil!
"Still no."
"Ugh, you ambitionless, greedy slob!!"
Just as his tirade was about to erupt, the carriage halted.
"Looks like we've arrived at the Tang Citadel. Time to get up?"
"Damn! You were almost hooked!"
Hooked? Who?
I shook my head.
"Wait, didn't we agree no marriage talk? Why keep pushing these last few days?"
The Dark Venerable snapped back.
"The prenatal betrothal's done and dusted, sure."
"Then why—"
"That's that, this is this. When'd I say I was giving up on you?"
"......"
Staring at the bald devil's lecherous smile, I felt like I'd bitten off way more than I could chew.
"I never let go of talent I spot... Er, ahem! Never."
He was about to say slave, right? Someone save me! The bald devil's turning me into a Tang Citadel salt flat slave!
"So, you and your dad—you're in my grasp for life! Generation after generation, filling my coffers as my stewards!! *Slurp!*"
"......"
Cackling like Ku-heol-heol-heol while licking his dark lips with his tongue—he looked just like a demon tempting Buddha under the bodhi tree.
I had nothing left to say, just shook my head.
But these moments weren't all bad.
No, I was grateful.
Under house arrest with no one to interrupt, he was deliberately teaching me things by his side.
His posture, habits, demeanor, speech, tone.
Every little gesture reeked of Heaven-Splitting Palm subtleties.
Prime stimulation for me, a catalyst etching martial principles into my subconscious.
It was discipleship.
Direct instruction from the man tapped to lead the New Tempest Division.
Sometime back, the Dark Venerable had started seeing me as one of his successors.
Creeeak!
Then the carriage door swung wide.
The road to the fortress gates stretched ahead.
Warriors in green uniforms lined both sides in perfect order, cupping fists in salute.
Each exuded the awe-inspiring aura of a tiger that could shake the world.
"We greet the Clan Leader! Congratulations on the victory!"
"Congratulations on the victory!!"
"Congratulations on the victory!!"
We had entered the Tang Citadel.